Rep. Tomi Strock

Maddy summaryThis Wyoming bill (SF 84) requires retailers and wholesalers to label beef derived entirely from cattle born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States as "product of the United States of America." It directly affects businesses selling beef within Wyoming by mandating this specific country-of-origin labeling. The bill amends existing meat labeling laws to add this requirement, defining "beef" as meat from cattle including veal. The rule takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 262 would limit Wyoming counties' reserve funds to their average annual spending over the previous five years (excluding specific purpose taxes). Counties exceeding this limit must refund excess funds to residents who lived in the county for at least one year, calculated pro rata and paid by August 15 annually starting in 2025. The bill requires counties to report reserve calculations to the Department of Revenue by July 1 each year and mandates refunds for any excess funds held on July 1, 2025, and subsequent years. Noncompliance would trigger the state treasurer withholding twice the excess amount from county payments until refunds are processed.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all Wyoming hospitals to implement random drug and alcohol testing for employees and job applicants in safety-sensitive roles (like nurses or surgical staff). It mandates that employees testing positive be temporarily removed from such duties, undergo counseling through the Wyoming Professional Assistance Program, and provide a negative test before returning. The bill also clarifies that marijuana use remains unlawful under state and federal law regardless of local decriminalization, and excludes prescribed medications (not schedule 1 drugs) from treatment requirements. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, with immediate implementation for rulemaking provisions.

Maddy summaryHB 89 requires wind energy facilities in Wyoming to dispose of decommissioned turbine blades and towers on the site where they operated, rather than sending them to municipal landfills. The bill prohibits landfill disposal of these materials, mandates burying only base materials (not mechanical parts), and specifies minimum depth requirements near aquifers. Exceptions include on-site recycling, removal of non-base materials, and disposal at surface coal mining sites. The rulemaking requirements and effective date (July 1, 2025) apply to new permits issued after that date.

Maddy summaryWyoming's SF 60 revises how sales and use tax revenues are distributed to counties and local governments. It reduces the percentage of sales tax going to the state general fund from 69% to 65%, increases annual county payments from $20,000 to $40,000 (for pre-2004 amounts), and adjusts the share of out-of-state vendor taxes distributed to local areas from 29.5% to 35%. These changes apply to taxes collected on or after July 1, 2025, and affect all Wyoming counties and local municipalities receiving tax distributions based on population and sales data. The bill updates existing distribution formulas without altering the overall structure of tax allocation.

Maddy summaryHB 218 requires Wyoming's Public Service Commission to pause all pending rate cases, applications, and related proceedings when a public utility files a lawsuit challenging the commission's rules, regulations, or decisions. This pause continues until the lawsuit is fully resolved, affecting utilities, the commission, and any parties involved in those pending matters. The law does not apply to lawsuits focused on factual disputes (like evidence or witness testimony) or enforcement actions for commission violations. It directly changes how the commission handles active cases during utility litigation.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 224 restricts land ownership by "foreign adversaries" (defined as entities or individuals linked to Russia, China, terrorism-designated countries, or specific international sanctions lists) in all Wyoming real property, except for personal residences under one acre. Owners must register with the Homeland Security office within 60 days of acquisition or July 1, 2025 (whichever is later), and update annually. Failure to register incurs a $5,000 daily civil penalty, and county clerks must report violations to Homeland Security. The law also requires tax assessment notices to inform property owners about the ownership restrictions and registration requirements.

Maddy summaryWyoming's HB 171 amends the legal definition of "explicit sexual conduct" under the state's child exploitation statute (W.S. 6-4-303(a)(iii)). The bill specifically expands the definition to include acts like genital-genital contact, oral-genital contact, bestiality, masturbation, and lascivious exhibitions of genitals or breasts. This change directly affects how prosecutors define and prosecute cases involving the sexual exploitation of children in Wyoming. The amendment will take effect on July 1, 2025, strengthening the legal framework for addressing such crimes.

Maddy summaryHB 307 amends Wyoming election law to regulate poll watchers, who are certified volunteers from political parties. The bill limits poll watchers to one per political party per polling place (with exceptions for multiple precincts), requires electronic certification to county clerks before voting begins, and specifies they may observe voter check-in, ballot counting, and polling place setup/shutdown without challenging voters or disrupting voting. It mandates polling places provide chairs for watchers and allows optional ID badges, while prohibiting removal for failure to schedule. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 232 requires manual hand counting for certain election recounts in Wyoming, directly affecting county clerks, candidates, and election officials. The bill mandates that recounts requested by candidates must be conducted by hand (not electronic systems), revises primary and canvass deadlines to allow time for this process, and specifies that candidates can request recounts based on defined criteria. It clarifies that county clerks must appoint counting boards for recounts and authorizes the secretary of state to establish rules for handling ballots during manual counts. The bill does not change who can request recounts but replaces electronic recount options with mandatory hand counting in specified cases.